In a known cold dyeing method the dye liquor conventionally is applied to the pile side of a continuously conveyed fabric web, the aim being to obtain a good coloring through the fabric pile side (down to the pile backing or base) with a minimum of liquor. After the application of the dye liquor the pile fabric is loosely coiled to form a roll (or lap) to avoid damage to the pile side, and the roll is then left to stand, generally cold, to improve the distribution of the dye liquor. However, the loose rolls result in only relatively little pile fabric being contained therein because with larger diameters they are very unstable and cumbersome; moreover, for a good dyeing of the pile side (down to the pile base) a disproportionately large amount of dye liquor is frequently necessary.